Risks of Working From Home

Working from home is often a new and exciting experience for many employees, but it also brings with it new responsibilities. There are a number of associated risks that are often overlooked or forgotten; risks that you wouldn’t usually consider when working normally because someone else is responsible.

Home working combines all the safety hazards you would find in your normal working environment but instead places them all in your own home. Our Home Working Fire Safety Kit provides a number of essentials for dealing with these risks, giving you piece of mind.

One risk is the increase in the use of electronic devices and wiring, which is a serious fire hazard. In a rush to start work, sockets can easily be overloaded providing an opportunity for fire to break out. Electrical fires are still one of the most common causes of fire in the UK so limiting the chance of ignition is crucial.

Where possible avoid keeping flammable materials, such as paper, near wires and plug sockets. Make sure that your electrical appliances are correctly looked after – do the wires look to be in good health with no damage to the sheathing? The 1kg Powder Extinguisher in this kit will tackle the common fire risks in your home office, including electrical fires.

Working flexible hours when home working is very common and you may find yourself working at night as a result of this. All business workplaces should be fitted with emergency lighting but it is unlikely that you will have this in your own home. The Safe T Light Portable Emergency Light is ideal for home use and will provide you with adequate light to safely evacuate your home in an emergency, should there be a power failure.

Although many people working from home will be office workers, this kit also serves those in the craft or catering industry. The St John Ambulance First Aid Kit is equipped to deal with the most common accidents in and around the home.

People working from home should be encouraged to review the risks and take the appropriate precautions to prevent fires and accidents from happening. Those precautions should include having the means to detect and manage a fire should one occur. In our Home Working Fire Safety Kit, we have also included an optical smoke alarm and a fire blanket to help you cover all the common risks found in the home.

To assist with protecting yourself, your family and your home, there a few simple steps that we would recommend:

Ensure you have the appropriate fire detection and protection methods for yourself and your home, should a fire break out.
Regularly check the health of your devices and their wiring. If any wires appear to be damaged, that device should not be used.
Ensure all electrical devices are turned off and unplugged when not in use to reduce the risk of fire.
Equip your home with a first aid kit, as injuries are often unexpected and immediate treatment is usually the best course of action.
Know how you would evacuate your home in the event of a fire and practice this with all members of the household.

Safelincs Home Working Fire Safety Kit

Fire blanket included for emergency escape
Supplied with a portable powder extinguisher and emergency light
St John Ambulance first aid kit provides the essentials for minor injuries
Also supplied with an optical smoke alarm
Protect your home office / home working environment

£52.79 inc VAT

£43.99 ex VAT

Buy Now

For more information about our product range or to place an order, call today on 0800 612 6537.

Connor Storr

Product Administrator

Connor is one of our product administrators. He has a wealth of knowledge when it comes to fire and security safes and fire doors.

Latest Posts by Connor Storr

Risks of Working From Home6th April 2020
Is Your Empty Property Protected From Fire and Malicious Attack?3rd April 2020
Finally, fire and carbon monoxide protection for kitchens combined in just one alarm4th February 2019

Is Your Empty Property Protected From Fire and Malicious Attack?

Companies who are forced to close their doors for a period of time may not be aware of the hidden dangers of arson and also clauses in their insurance contracts, which may mean they are not covered unless they have taken steps to prevent arson attacks.

In 2018-19, a total of 2,960 primary fires in dwellings and other buildings were started deliberately (source: GOV.UK statistical data set FIRE0601). A shocking number, potentially many of which could have been prevented.

The Letterblox Kit is an easy-to-install solution and was developed after the inventers suffered a rather traumatic experience when a fire broke out at one of their properties. Many insurance companies will not cover claims where unoccupied buildings have an unprotected letterbox.

The Letterblox is a letterbox vandalism and arson prevention kit. Constructed from solid steel plates, the kit is very easy to install and is designed to fit the majority of letterbox apertures. The innovative Letterblox device received the ‘Secured by Design’ award and will help to ensure your property remains safe if left unoccupied.

For more information or to place an order, call today on 0800 612 6537.

Letterbox Blanking Plates - Letterblox™

Letterbox blanking plates are designed to protect your property from arson and vandalism whilst it is unoccupied. The plates fit most door types.

Stops letterbox arson attacks when properties are unoccupied
Fit most door types and letter plate openings
2 year manufacturer's warranty

£107.99 inc VAT

£89.99 ex VAT

Buy Now

Connor Storr

Product Administrator

Connor is one of our product administrators. He has a wealth of knowledge when it comes to fire and security safes and fire doors.

Latest Posts by Connor Storr

Fire Door Retainers Hold Fire Doors Open Hygienically

With concerns of the coronavirus being spread through contact with door handles and hand plates, many companies and health care settings are looking for solutions to hold fire doors open; reducing the need to touch door handles, without compromising fire safety.

Fire door retainers, such as Dorgard Original and Dorgard SmartSound, hold fire doors open legally and hygienically.

Dorgard Fire Door Retainers offer easy-to-install solutions that can be fitted to an existing fire door in around ten minutes by your own handyman, without the need to book an engineer to install. By fitting your fire doors with either the Dorgard Original or the upgraded version Dorgard SmartSound, you can hold fire doors open legally and eliminate the need to open the door using the handle once the Dorgard plunger has been depressed. This reduces the risk of germs and viruses spreading. The Dorgard will let the fire door close automatically when a fire alarm sounds, as the devices recognise the sound of a fire alarm.

For settings where at night time the doors should be closed, the Dorgard can be programmed to self-close at a specific time.

Call us today to speak with a customer service adviser on 0800 612 6537.

Angie Dewick-Eisele

Marketing Manager

Angie has been our marketing manager since joining in 2002. She also has a keen interest in H&S issues.

Latest Posts by Angie Dewick-Eisele

Safelincs Celebrates the Return of Furloughed Staff6th July 2020
Getting ready to go back to work- COVID-19 assessment tips9th June 2020
NHS staff discount, a little something to say thanks11th May 2020

Safelincs’ Coronavirus Statement

As a responsible company Safelincs is monitoring the situation closely. Within the supply chain we are taking steps to ensure that our main product lines and services are still available. Where appropriate, alternative suppliers are being sourced and integrated into Safelincs’ supply chain. Our commitment to providing excellent customer service and the supply of critical safety products and services is at the forefront of our business.

Safelincs is also proactively implementing special measures and acting in line with government guidance and best practice to ensure the well-being of our employees and those we interact with.

Safelincs have student for one week work experience

This week Daniel, a student from Queen Elizabeth Grammar School, Alford, came to Safelincs for his work experience. Daniel got an overview of what the world of business is like and how each of our departments works together to create a successful business.

Daniel shadowed various departments such as HR, Sales, Products, IT and Marketing and carried out meaningful tasks in each area. For example, in the products department Daniel was shown the product selection and listing processes and then completed a new product listing for an Evac+Chair Photoluminescent Sign. This experience showed him first-hand how a product is listed. Daniel said, ‘It was very useful to see how products that we take for granted actually become available to us.’

We ensured that Daniel’s placement at Safelincs was as interesting as possible. Throughout the week, Daniel was given a number of tasks typical for each department he visited. This included replying to mock customer emails, research tasks, such as finding an asbestos awareness course that met specific requirements, website evaluations on the Safelincs website and printing a new staff badge.

Overall, this has been a beneficial experience for not only Daniel but for us at Safelincs as well. Having students here opens up possibilities of future employment. Daniel was a great student and we wish him every success in the future.

The product listing Daniel completed during his work placement week

Angie Dewick-Eisele

Marketing Manager

Angie has been our marketing manager since joining in 2002. She also has a keen interest in H&S issues.

Latest Posts by Angie Dewick-Eisele

The Importance of Managing False Alarms – Fire Services & BS 5839 Part 1

As reported by the BBC, the Chief Fire Officer (CFO) at Lincolnshire Fire and Rescue – Les Britzman – is asking business owners to take more care and responsibility in regards to false alarms. Provided that there are no hazardous materials in the premises and there is no immediate risk to life or the community, the CFO says they should “have systems in place to go and check those buildings themselves” before calling 999. This is inline with information and advice from the London Fire Brigade who attended around 38,000 false alarms in 2017 alone, diverting resources from real emergencies and putting people at risk due to avoidable blue light journeys.

BS 5839 Part 1, the Code of Practice for design, installation, commissioning and maintenance of fire alarm systems in non-domestic premises, has a focus on managing false alarms, which means doing so is necessary to maintain compliance. The Responsible Person must ensure that all false alarms on a system are logged and investigated for a root cause, and that mitigating work is undertaken as necessary. This could be fitting simple flip covers to manual call points, a recommendation in the Standard, to prevent accidental activation.

Another fundamental part of managing false alarms in existing fire alarm systems is to ensure they are tested, inspected, and serviced at regular intervals. This will reduce the risks of false alarms caused by faulty or improperly installed equipment, as well as identifying detectors which have become unsuitable due to a change in the purpose of a room after the system was installed. For example, swapping optical beam detectors to point heat detectors in a building that was repurposed from warehousing into a factory with machinery that creates a lot of dust.

Fire Alarm System Testing & Maintenance — Functional testing of point smoke detectors with a Solo aerosol dispenser and access pole.

For new fire alarm systems, during the design stage the full details of the Fire Risk Assessment, the building, and its intended / current use should be made available so that the most suitable types of detector can be selected and positioned in the correct way. Suitable detectors in the correct locations are one of the easiest methods for managing false alarms as, for example, installing an optical smoke detector near kitchens or bathrooms could result in false alarms due to steam from cooking or baths and showers. While identifying design shortcomings is not generally the responsibility of an installer, the Standard does state that any issues noticed during installation – particularly those arising from features of the building that might not have been known to the designer – should be brought to the attention of the designer or Responsible Person. An example of this could be certain machinery in a room which, during normal operation, creates excessive heat that would activate a Class A1 heat detector (54 – 65°C activation) and therefore making the use of a Class B detector (69 – 85°C) more appropriate.

Managing false alarms properly ensures that time is not wasted by needless evacuations of the premises, which may also cause downtime of machinery and potentially a loss of earnings. There is also a chance that occupants may get used to hearing false alarms and fail to react properly in the event of a real emergency. Should a real fire incident occur, documentation showing full compliance will be required during the investigation and it is highly likely that insurers will also require this when processing a claim.

Safelincs provide nationwide fire alarm system servicing and maintenance contracts at competitive pricing. View our Servicing and Maintenance page, call our Servicing team on 0800 612 4827, or see our summary of BS 5839-1: 2017 for more information.

Daniel Bennett

Product Administrator

Daniel is one of our product administrators. He has a wealth of knowledge when it comes to emergency lighting, fire alarms and smart products.

Latest Posts by Daniel Bennett

The Importance of Managing False Alarms – Fire Services & BS 5839 Part 17th February 2020
Sigma Smart+Shield – Deterring the Misuse of Emergency Exits19th April 2017

Safelincs supports Buses 4 Homeless

Buses 4 Homeless is a social enterprise that was set up by Dan Atkins with a mission to provide 14,600 nights of sleep a year for the homeless. This exciting project, offering a three-month rehabilitation programme to vulnerable homeless people, is run from four refurbished double-decker buses and aims to re-engage homeless people back into the community.

Dan contacted Safelincs to ask for advice about fire safety and when we heard about the project we decided to get involved and donate a state of the art Zerio Plus wireless fire detection system, fire extinguishers, and a fire escape ladder. Installing the equipment enabled the first guests to be welcomed onto the project just before Christmas. Dan Atkins said “I picked up the phone and called Safelincs, spoke about the project and what we are doing. Everyone at Safelincs has been so supportive”. Dan went on to say “it is humbling to have such support”.

The buses provide four very distinct areas for the guests including sleeping accommodation, dining, wellbeing, and education. Each individual has the opportunity to work on their own specific areas and issues that led them to become homeless, learn new skills and help them secure employment. The programme offers the opportunity of long term mentorship to underpin long term success. We wish Dan and his team every success.

Buses 4 Homeless fitted with Zerio Plus wireless alarm panel and water mist extinguishers

Angie Dewick-Eisele

Marketing Manager

Angie has been our marketing manager since joining in 2002. She also has a keen interest in H&S issues.

Latest Posts by Angie Dewick-Eisele

Nursing home holds doors open for residents with Dorgard SmartSound

Newhaven Residential Home, a medium-sized Lincolnshire residential facility offering accommodation for up to 25 residents, has recently installed Dorgard SmartSound fire door retainers.

The home wanted to increase the independence of its residents and found that one of the biggest challenges for residents was opening bedroom doors. The weight of a fire door, coupled with a strong door closer, meant that residents couldn’t open them unaided or leave them partly open. The home had already installed fire door retainers on other fire doors throughout the home, connecting communal areas and after feeling the benefit of these wanted to address bedroom doors to further increase the independence of its residents.

Sharon Evans, Care Manager at Newhaven, said ‘sometimes residents who need to stay in their rooms when they are unwell can feel isolated if their bedroom door is always closed.’ she went on to say that ‘having the flexibility to have a bedroom door partially open means that they can see people passing along the corridor, which makes them feel happier.’

Dorgard SmartSound fire door retainers ensure that residential and nursing homes can meet the requirements set out in the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order while also promoting the independent mobility of residents. They are CE marked and conform to BS 7273-4:2015 Category B. These fire door retainers use SmartSound technology to listen for the fire alarm sounding. On detecting the fire alarm the device will automatically lift the plunger, allowing the fire door to swing closed.

Dorgard SmartSound

Legal means of holding open fire doors
Complies with BS EN 1155 & BS EN 1634
Features SmartSound listening technology
FREE extended 5 year warranty
FREE shipping

£132.00 inc VAT

£110.00 ex VAT

Buy Now

Angie Dewick-Eisele

Marketing Manager

Angie has been our marketing manager since joining in 2002. She also has a keen interest in H&S issues.

Latest Posts by Angie Dewick-Eisele

Why is carbon monoxide dangerous? Advice to students

As a student, it may be the very first time that you are living away from home and you will have just settled into your new accommodation. Many things may be on your mind and the safety of your new room may not be one of them; after all, isn’t that covered by the landlord? While landlords have the full responsibility to ensure that the rooms they rent out are fully compliant, news articles would suggest that this is not always the case and that some landlords are failing to meet their responsibilities.

It is always worth checking that the basics have been ticked off; are smoke alarms and fire extinguishers installed, in date and serviced? What about carbon monoxide? what do you know about this gas and do you need protection from it? Knowing about the dangers of carbon monoxide could save your life.

What is Carbon monoxide (CO) and how will it affect you?

Carbon monoxide is a deadly gas that when breathed in will attach to your red blood cells, reducing the amount of oxygen that is carried around your body. Low levels of CO over a long period can have devastating effects on your health, such as causing damage to nerves and brain as well as affecting your heart. Being exposed to high levels of CO can cause sudden unconsciousness and death.

What do you need to look out for?

**University students should ensure that they know the signs and symptoms of CO poisoning, it could save their life.**

You can’t see, smell or taste carbon monoxide and that is why the only way to know if this poisonous gas is present is to install a carbon monoxide detector. Having a detector that will give an audible signal if CO is present means you will get alerted even when asleep.

The symptoms of CO poisoning are very similar to flu (and hangovers!) and as such a CO leak may go undetected. The main symptoms are persistent headaches, dizziness, nausea/vomiting, stomach pains, difficulty breathing, tiredness, confusion, and sudden collapse. If your symptoms get better when you leave your accommodation and go outside that is another indicator that CO may be causing your symptoms.

How can you protect yourself?

As a student, you are most likely living in either University accommodation or a privately rented room in a shared house. Check to see if your accommodation has a carbon monoxide alarm installed. This is important if you have appliances that use fuels such as gas, oil, and wood as CO is produced from the incomplete burning of fossil fuels. If you use a fuel appliance, such as a cooker or fire, and don’t have a CO alarm fitted ask your landlord or University accommodation department to install one. It is their legal duty to provide a CO alarm for you if there is fuel used within the building.

Do you need a CO detector if you don’t have any fuel burning appliances?

Yes, it is recommended that even if you don’t have any fossil fuel appliances in your accommodation that you have at least one CO detector fitted. Carbon monoxide can seep through walls and as such you are at risk of CO poisoning from your neighbour.

Is there anything else you should look out for?

You should check that all your appliances, such as cookers, fires, and boilers are serviced every year. This is the responsibility of your landlord and a legal requirement. Ask to see the annual certificates or reports if you can’t see an in-date sticker on the appliance. If your landlord can’t produce them then insist that the service is carried out again.

In between the annual service or checks keep your eyes open for any telltale signs that the appliance isn’t working properly. These may include soot marks around the appliance, excessive condensation in the room, lazy yellow or orange coloured flames instead of a bright blue one. If you notice any of these signs inform your landlord immediately and ask for the appliance to be checked.

What do you do if carbon monoxide is detected?

If you suspect that carbon monoxide is leaking into your accommodation the first thing to do is open doors and windows to let in fresh air and ventilate the room. Turn off the appliance if safe to do so and contact the emergency services:

Gas Emergency Services (24 hours) 0800 111 999

Solid Fuel Advice Line 01773 835400

Oil (OFTEC) 01473 626298

Ambulance 999

For more information and advice on how to stay safe visit: https://www.carbonmonoxideinfo.co.uk/

*All telephone numbers were correct at time of publishing

Where can you buy a carbon monoxide alarm?

There is a wide range of carbon monoxide alarms available for different budgets, with optional features such as sealed lithium batteries that last the full lifespan of the sensor or digital screens that show the current and peak level of CO measured in the air.

Digital Carbon Monoxide Alarm - Kidde 5DCO

FREE delivery
Product Life: 10 years
Battery: AA batteries included
Warranty: 7 year warranty
Displays CO levels from 10ppm
Peak Level Memory - recalls highest CO levels
CE Marked
Kitemarked to BS EN 50291-1:2010 (domestic use)

£15.95 inc VAT

£13.29 ex VAT

Buy Now

Angie Dewick-Eisele

Marketing Manager

Angie has been our marketing manager since joining in 2002. She also has a keen interest in H&S issues.

Latest Posts by Angie Dewick-Eisele

Double Awards for Safelincs

Safelincs receiving Employer of the Year 2019 East Lindsey Business Award

Safelincs Ltd have been named Employer of the Year and been given a second award for Excellence in Customer Service in the ELBA 2019 business awards. These two awards are testimony to the great team at Safelincs. Harry Dewick-Eisele, MD, said ‘We are incredibly proud of our team and these two awards are down to our great team work and ethical business practices’. He went on to say ‘we believe our success is in selecting the right staff from the start, giving them a comprehensive induction period and then involving them in all aspects of the business’.

Safelincs receiving Excellence in Customer Service 2019 East Lindsey Business Award

These two awards follow continued growth for the company, bucking the trend by growing 30% year on year for the last four years. Ensuring that staff are well trained, have a voice within the company and are empowered to provide the best customer service are all contributing factors for Safelincs’ success. With a product range of over 6000 products Safelincs can offer comprehensive fire safety solutions to customers of all sizes and work with organisations such as Eton College, Empire Cinema, the NHS, as well as schools, colleges and universities.

Angie Dewick-Eisele

Marketing Manager

Angie has been our marketing manager since joining in 2002. She also has a keen interest in H&S issues.